Things Don't Always Turn Out That Way
by Coeus
Summary: RobStar oneshot. Robin and Starfire both care for each other deeply. So why are they not together? What is holding them back? Edited and cleaned up, with a slightly different ending.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Teen Titans does not belong to me, nor does the song "Things Don't Always Turn Out That Way" by The Calling.

A/N: Hello. This is my first foray into Teen Titan fanfiction. Truthfully, this is my first completed story of any genre. I once started a Harry Potter story, but abandoned it after 2 chapters, so this can be considered my first true fan fiction. This is a one-shot RobStar fic that turned out significantly longer than I originally intended, so my apologies in advance if it is too long or tedious. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Things Don't Always Turn Out That Way**

"Robin, would you perhaps like to dance?"

The Boy Wonder looked up into the shining green eyes of the pretty alien standing in front of him. "Of course, Star," he replied with a smile, and politely excused himself from the conversation. As he followed Starfire out to the dance floor, he saw Cyborg give him a very knowing smirk and a wink. Robin quite pointedly ignored him and turned his attention back to Starfire. She really was quite beautiful tonight. "Not that she isn't beautiful all the time" thought Robin, but wearing a long, shimmering, clinging green dress just seemed to accentuate that beauty.

Once Starfire reached the dance floor she turned to Robin with a bright smile and took his hand in hers, while placing her other hand lightly on the shoulder of his black tuxedo. Robin slipped his other hand to her waist and the two started to sway slowly to the music. For a few moments they just stared into each others eyes, and then Starfire moved closer to Robin and laid her head gently on his shoulder with a soft sigh. Robin stiffened for only a few seconds, and then relaxed and tightened his grip on her.

As they slowly rotated around the dance floor, an opening appeared in the dancers and Robin noticed Beast Boy sitting at a table in the corner of the room. Anyone who knew the green superhero would find this behavior very odd. At first Robin was a bit surprised as well, at least until he noticed the pale, purple haired girl sitting at the table with him. Beast Boy was leaning towards Raven with a huge smile and was gesticulating wildly. He was obviously telling one of his unbelievably lame jokes in his never-ending effort to make her smile, while she just wore a look of long-suffering patience. Regardless of her expression, and the fact that later she would be bemoaning the fact that she had to spend the whole evening with Beast Boy, Robin knew she was grateful for his company. She didn't like social functions or crowds, and chances are she would have spent the night by herself if not for the attentions of the young changeling. As Robin was reflecting on this, Beast Boy happened to look up and lock eyes with him. Beast Boy's cheesy grin got even bigger; he flashed double thumbs up to his leader, and then quickly pointed him out to Raven. Raven looked across the room, met eyes with Robin, and raised an eyebrow. Robin slowly navigated Starfire into the crowd so that other dancers blocked them from the two Titans once more.

Robin didn't know what exactly the other three Titans thought they were accomplishing with their smiles and gestures. He knew that they thought he was hopelessly oblivious, both to his own feelings and to those of Starfire. But Robin knew exactly how he felt about the girl in his arms. How could he not know? It was his face that flushed at the slightest contact with her, it was his internal organs that decided to do a spirited jig whenever she smiled at him, it was his heart that was currently racing in his chest. He was the one who had burned with jealousy when Starfire was betrothed, though at the time he tried to play it off as concern for a teammate. No, Robin wasn't ignorant of his own feelings. He was perfectly aware that he loved this beautiful princess. And neither was he ignorant of her feelings for him. True, he didn't know the depth of her feelings, but he at least knew that she felt more than friendship for him. If nothing else, the whole Kitten fiasco would have shown that to him. Robin was not a stupid person. He knew very well that if he were ever to confess his feelings to Starfire and suggest changing the nature of their relationship, then she would quite happily agree. But that wasn't the point.

Robin knew that the greatest strength of the Titans was their teamwork and unity. He knew that any type of romance between any of them would hopelessly complicate that equation. He knew that if any villains discovered a relationship deeper than friendship, then it could be exploited as a weakness. He knew that if, for whatever reason, it didn't work out between them, it would likely be the end of their friendship and would probably result in one of them leaving the team.

But most of all, Robin knew that she deserved better than him. He had spent countless sleepless nights obsessing about this since she had come into his life. She was beautiful, brave, loyal, and strong. She was one of those rare people that are truly happy with themselves, and reflect that happiness to all those around her. She would cheerfully befriend a stranger or help a person in need. She wanted to make people happy, and would do almost anything to achieve that end. She was everything good that he didn't believe could be found in a single person. She deserved someone who could make her happy. She deserved someone who would spend countless hours with her in "the mall of shopping". Someone who would happily learn and celebrate her Tamaranian holidays, rather than finding them a nuisance. She deserved someone who would romance her, who would spend countless hours making her feel loved. She deserved someone who would put her as the number one priority in his life. In short, she deserved someone who would worship her. And Robin knew that he could not be that person. He would love to try, and perhaps he would succeed for a while, but eventually a particularly nasty villain or difficult case would come up, and he would go back to being the obsessive, lonely detective who spent countless hours locked away to solve a crime. He had to fight against evil. It was deeply ingrained in him from a very young age and there was nothing he could do about it. There were times when he felt that he was the last candle holding back the darkness in Jump City. If his flame wavered even for a moment, then those silent things that stalk in the dark would descend upon the city and feast upon the helpless citizens. He had a calling, something he couldn't deny, something that would always come first in his life. Robin knew himself very well, and knew that if anything other than fighting crime ever took priority in his life, it would be a short-lived tenure. And he refused to start something with Starfire that he knew he would not be able to finish.

Robin knew all of these things. But times like these made him question everything he thought he knew. They had unconsciously shifted positions and both of her arms were around his neck, while both of his encircled her slim waist. He was holding her in his arms, the soft music surrounding them like a protective shell. He could feel the warmth of her body pressed against his, feel the soft curve of her hips under his hands, feel the tingles that shot down his spine from her fingers toying with the hair at the nape of his neck. He could feel his love for her, and hers for him. It was times like these that took away his doubt. It was times like these that turned him inside out. She was all that he wanted. Surely she was all that she needed. Maybe things didn't have to turn out that way. Maybe, just maybe, he could be with her and make her happy, and everything else be damned.

A small, deeply content, very secret smile spread across Robin's face as he closed his eyes and laid his head gently atop Starfire's. He softly inhaled, embracing her tightly...

* * *

...Robin raised his head and spoke softly to her, "Hey, Star?"

Her response was a sleepy sounding "Hmm?"

"Star, I, um, I just wanted to tell you." Robin could scarcely believe what was coming out of his mouth. "I love you."

Slowly, Starfire raised her head and looked at him with wide, shimmering eyes. "I love you too, Robin."

Robin looked down at the beautiful girl. He felt as though all time had stopped, the whole world had ceased to exist, and all that was left were two bright shining pools of the loveliest green. Slowly, so very slowly, his head descended, bringing him ever closer. Slowly, so very slowly, she responded in kind, moving up to meet him. And then there was the softest brushing of lips, hardly even there, before both teens closed their eyes while their lips met gently again. After an eternity that was far too short for either of them, they broke away and stared shyly at one another. And then they were dancing once more, arms wrapped tightly around one another, her head resting on his chest, his cheek on her head.

* * *

...Robin's arm was draped across Starfire's shoulders, her arms tightly embracing his waist, as they sat on the hard wooden bench in the park. A slight gust of wind whistled through the trees, and Starfire cuddled into Robin for warmth.

Robin looked down with concern. "Are you cold, would you like to head back to the tower?"

Starfire responded with a shy smile, "I think that I would prefer to stay here. You provide adequate warmth, and it is a lovely evening."

Robin smiled back, while tightening his embrace and bringing his free hand up to lightly caress her cheek, "Well, ok, but I don't want you to catch a cold. That would be a terrible way to remember our first official date."

Starfire closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, responding in a soft voice, "I do not think that there is anything that could make me remember this as something terrible."

Robin leaned down and caught her lips in a gentle but passionate kiss.

* * *

..."But Robin, I have celebrated the festival of Christmas many times since I have come to Earth. I have participated in the decorating of the tree and the tower, the hanging of the stockings, the giving of gifts, and the singing of carols. What other tradition is practiced, and why have you not told me of it before?"

Robin was pulling Starfire, his girlfriend of four months, through the halls of Titan's Tower towards the living room. After breakfast everyone had helped decorate the Tower and the tree, and then scattered to their own tasks. Robin had waited until everyone had left the living room, and then quickly added one last final touch to the decorations before going to find Starfire.

"Star, it's kind of a combination decoration/tradition. Something I just added and wanted to show you."

Starfire still looked confused. "Should we not retrieve the others so that they may also participate?"

Robin chuckled to himself, "No, I think we should do this one on our own."

Finally they reached their destination and Robin stopped Starfire in the doorway. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, and she, though still slightly baffled, reciprocated. "What is it that you wanted to show me Robin?"

"Look up."

Starfire reluctantly broke eye contact with her boyfriend and looked above them. Robin smiled slightly as the confused look on her face grew. "You desired to show me a dead weed fastened to the..."

Robin cut off her question with a kiss. Starfire still didn't understand, and was about to break away to ask for clarification, but when Robin deepened the kiss, she simply tightened her arms around his neck and decided that perhaps it would be best to ask him later.

* * *

...Robin woke to the sun on his face and a lovely warmth on his chest. He looked down to see Starfire's red hair glinting golden in the sun. A softness appeared in his eyes, a look of absolute contentment and love, while a gentle smile played on his lips. He slowly stroked the velvet hair of his girlfriend while reminiscing on the events of the previous evening.

It had been the two year anniversary of their first kiss, the unofficial marker of the beginning of their relationship. Robin had made reservations at the finest restaurant in Jump City, not a difficult task for one of the Titans. What was slightly more difficult was arranging for the restaurant to serve mustard as a beverage and convincing the world renowned chef to make a Tamaranian dish for his girlfriend. But, in the end, the restaurant had accommodated them and Starfire had been thrilled with the meal. After dinner, he took her to the ballet, something she had seen once on T.V. and found very interesting. Robin thought he would be bored silly by ballet, but after he saw the way that Starfire was totally enthralled with it he settled back and watched her instead. After the ballet, and a carriage ride through the park, they had returned to the Tower and Robin had walked Starfire back to her bedroom door as he always did. After a long kiss goodnight, Robin had reluctantly turned to go to his own bedroom, when Starfire had meekly whispered "You do not have to leave, if you would like to stay." Robin slowly turned, noticing the adorable blush on her face. "Do you want me to stay?" She nodded quickly. "Are you sure?" Starfire looked up at him, blush still staining her cheeks, and said in a much more confident voice, "Yes, Robin. I would very much like for you to stay." And they had disappeared into her bedroom.

Robin let out a contented sigh. Starfire stirred on his chest, making a happy little noise, and slowly looked up into Robin's eyes. Robin's smile grew, as he said "Good morning, my beautiful temptress."

Starfire let out a small giggle as she snuggled up closer to him. "Good morning, Robin. Thank you for the wonderful evening last night."

Robin looked down at her with a grin, "I think I should be the one thanking you."

She giggled again as she leaned up and kissed him. It was supposed to be just a good morning peck, but the kiss lingered, and quickly deepened. As Starfire pulled away, Robin noticed silent tears streaking down her face. He reached up and gently wiped them away. His voice was tinged with concern when he asked, "Why are you crying, Star?"

She smiled softly at him, "I am just so very happy. I love you, Robin."

Robin smiled again, "I love you, Star," and leaned down to kiss her once more.

* * *

...Robin walked slowly with Starfire through the park that they loved to visit so much. They were holding hands, not saying anything, just enjoying being near each other. Robin occasionally stole a glance over at the girl he loved. As they neared a bench, Robin pulled Starfire over to it and they sat down. She looked up at him curiously, noticing the sweat on his brow despite the coolness in the air and the fidgeting of his hands. He had been acting strangely all evening, and she was starting to worry a bit. "Robin, are you feeling well?"

He looked up at her for a second before quickly glancing away. "Um, yeah, yeah Star, I'm fine."

He could still hear the concern in her voice when she said, "Perhaps we should return to the Tower."

"No, no, I, um, I'm fine." Robin looked up at her face, and saw that she was genuinely worried, so he took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself. "Seriously, Star, I am fine. It's just, well..."

"What is it Robin?"

"Well, um, did you enjoy dinner?" Robin groaned inwardly at his lame subject change.

The worry on Starfire's face disappeared into confusion. "Yes, Robin. I enjoyed it immensely. But did we not already discuss dinner thoroughly?"

Robin knew he was stalling, and hated himself for it. He had to do it. He wanted to do it. And now he was going to. He took another deep breath before replying. "Yes, Star, we talked about it already, I just wanted to make sure you enjoyed it. Star, you know that today is the third anniversary of our first kiss, right?"

Star smiled at him. "Of course Robin. That is why we are celebrating, is it not?"

Robin smiled back. "Yes, it definitely is. And do you know where we are right now?"

The confusion returned to her face. "We are at the park."

"Well, yes, but I meant more specifically. Where in the park?"

Starfire slowly looked around, trying to determine exactly what he was talking about. After a few seconds, she realized what he meant. "Oh! This is the bench we sat at on our first date, correct?"

Robin's smile grew as he slipped off the bench and down to one knee, his hand reaching into his jacket. "Yes, Star, that is correct. I brought you here to this same spot on this very day for a reason." And he slowly removed a small black box from his pocket.

Starfire was not a native earthling, but she had been here long enough and seen enough movies and television shows to understand what was going on. Her hand covered her mouth as she emitted another small, "Oh!", almost a squeak.

Robin opened the box and held it between them, revealing a beautiful ring. It was gold and had a large, exquisitely cut diamond surrounded by three smaller emeralds on either side. His free hand slowly reached for hers, as her eyes darted quickly to his face, then to the ring, and back. "Star, we have known each other for quite a while now, and have been dating for the last three years. Those have been the best three years of my whole life. You are the most wonderful, kind, caring, beautiful person I have ever known, and you have no idea how much I love you. You taught me that there is more to life than just fighting crime and catching bad guys. You showed me how to love and how to truly be happy. As long as I am with you, nothing else really matters. You are all that I want. You are..." Robin's voice cracked slightly as a tear slid down his face. "You are all that I need. You are everything I just couldn't believe in. I used to be afraid that a relationship would mess stuff up, or that it could be used against us, or that it wouldn't work out. But I'm not afraid anymore. I see now that things don't always turn out that way. I love you, Star, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Star, will you marry me?"

Tears were flowing freely down both their faces. It took a few moments for Starfire to collect herself enough to respond, but finally she gasped out "Yes!"

Robin slowly slid the ring onto her trembling hand. He reached up to cup her face gently with both his palms, and carefully wiped the tears away from her eyes. She placed both her hands over his, her face beaming in a radiant smile. Robin leaned up, and for the first time, kissed his fiancé.

* * *

...Robin fidgeted nervously with his collar as he looked out over the sea of faces, not all of them familiar to him. He couldn't believe the turnout. It seemed that everyone they sent invitations to had shown up, and brought a plus one as well. He saw the Titans East sitting towards the middle, all except Bumblebee, who was serving as a bridesmaid. He saw Flash and Superman conversing quietly with Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern. In fact, numerous members of the Justice League were scattered all throughout the auditorium. Near the front sat his old mentor. Since he was being married as Robin, it was Batman that showed up, not Bruce Wayne. As their eyes met, Batman gave him a tiny smile and a small nod of the head before his face went back to the stony, emotionless expression everyone was used to. Robin was glad that he had come. He was equally glad that he had found a way to bring Alfred as well. If Batman was his surrogate father, then Alfred was his surrogate grandfather, and Robin was happy he was here. As he continued to scan the crowd, he noticed the Tamaranian delegation that had shown up to make sure that Starfire was adequately represented.

Robin shifted uneasily as he looked around. A large metallic hand landed on one shoulder and a smaller green hand landed on the other. He turned to look at his two best men, both smiling brightly at him.

"Dude, you nervous?" asked Beast Boy.

Robin gave an uneasy chuckle. "Nervous? Of course not. Why would I be nervous? This is the best day of my life. Nothing could be better."

Cyborg gave his shoulder a squeeze and said, "So you're scared, huh?"

Robin let out a deep sigh, "To death. And I don't even know why."

Cyborg gave a small laugh, "Hey, man, don't worry about it. Everyone's nervous on their wedding day; I would be more worried if you weren't."

Beastboy looked at Robin with an unusually serious look on his face, "Yeah, dude. It's scary. But believe me, if anyone can handle this it's you and Starfire."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, definitely. You two are so in love that it's sickening." And the normal Beast Boy came back to them with a grin.

All three shared a small laugh, and Robin quietly turned back to surveying the crowd, after a quick, whispered, "Thanks guys."

And then the music started to play, and everything melted away for Robin. His two best friends behind him, the sea of faces in front of him, the nervousness inside of him, it was all gone. He was in a kind of haze, hardly noticing anything. Later he would vaguely be able to recall the flower girl eating the flowers rather than throwing them, and the ring bearer actually running down the aisle, and the two bridesmaids, Raven and Bumblebee, in their hideous dresses, Bee with a bright smile and Raven with her usual stoic expression. But what came next was seared into his memory for all of time. It wasn't the sight of the largest man he had ever seen squeezed into a tux that was too small that he remembered. It was the girl he was escorting. It was Starfire, walking down the aisle in her pristine white dress, with a huge smile on her face, looking more beautiful than he had ever seen her. His eyes locked with hers, and neither looked away for the entire ceremony. They both stood, in front of their friends, their families really, and exchanged their vows. And finally, at the end of the ceremony, Robin looked deeply into her eyes, and was finally able to kiss his wife.

* * *

...Robin cringed as his hand was squeezed in a grip like a vice, but he held out and continued to speak to his wife. "You're doin' great honey, we're almost there."

Starfire had her eyes squeezed shut tightly and her teeth clamped in pain. After a moment she suddenly yelled out, "I would like for the birthing to be done now, please!"

The doctor looked up, "Just one more big push is all we need."

Robin carefully mopped some of the sweat from her forehead. "C'mon Star, just one more big push, and we'll be parents. You're almost there, just one more."

Starfire's face scrunched up once more and she yelled out in pain as she gave one more push, and then suddenly collapsed back onto the bed in exhaustion. Robin was worried for a moment, until he heard a loud, wailing cry. He looked from Starfire to the doctor, and for the first time saw his child. The doctor handed the baby to the nurse to clean up, and said to Robin and Starfire, "Congratulations. It's a girl."

Robin gave a loud whoop of joy, and turned to Starfire. "We are parents! We have a baby girl, we have a baby girl!" He leaned down and kissed his wife gently on the forehead, and whispered softly into her ear, "You were amazing. I love you." Starfire didn't respond, she simply looked up at her husband and smiled.

The nurse brought the baby over to Starfire, and tears started falling from both parents as they looked at their child. Robin looked at his wife and his daughter, and his heart swelled so much he thought it might burst, and he wouldn't really care if it did. He leaned over and kissed his daughter gently on the cheek, and then turned to his wife. "You really are amazing." And then he kissed her lips tenderly.

* * *

...Robin tapped the steering wheel nervously, anxious for the light to change. He looked over at Starfire in the passenger's seat. "I am sure she's fine Star, the school would have told us if it was something serious."

Starfire didn't look at her husband; she continued to stare at the light, as if she was willing it to change. "You do not know that Robin. How could it not be something serious if they took her to the hospital? Anything could be wrong with her."

Robin tried his best to console his wife. "Star, the school said she jumped off the swing. She couldn't have been going that high. The school said that kids do it all the time when the teachers aren't looking. The school..."

Starfire did not let him finish his sentence. "The school, the school, the school, would you just shut up about the school!" She was almost screeching at him. "The school let her get hurt! I never wanted to send her to the school, I said we could continue to teach her at home, but you insisted she go to school. This is entirely your fault! It's your fault that my baby girl is hurt!" Starfire broke down in tears.

Robin didn't know what to do. She was blaming him. True, he had convinced Starfire to let their daughter attend public school, he thought it would be good for her, but it's not like he planned for her to get hurt. He was every bit as worried as she was, and she was yelling at him. Starfire rarely yelled, and he couldn't remember ever seeing her this upset before. Robin reached over to try to place his hand on her arm, but she pulled away. "Star..."

"The light is green Robin. Go."

And that was the end of conversation in the car. When they finally got to the hospital, they were directed to the proper room and practically ran all the way there, still not having spoken. In the room they saw their 7 year old daughter sitting on the edge of the bed. She had a small bandage on her forehead and a cast on her arm. They both rushed over to her, smothering her in hugs.

"Sweetie, what happened?"

"I jumped off the swing, but I didn't land very good."

The nurse in the room gave them a moment for their reunion before coming over to talk with the immensely relieved parents. "She will be fine; she has a mild concussion and a broken arm. It was a clean break, but she will need to stay in the cast for at least 6 weeks."

Robin quietly asked the nurse, "Thank you very much. Can we take her home?"

"Actually, the doctor wanted to take one more look at the cast before we release her, so it will be a few minutes. He should be here soon."

"Thank you."

The nurse left the room, and a few minutes later the doctor came in to take a look at the cast. As he was doing this, Starfire came around the bed and stood close to Robin. They had still not spoken since the car, and there was definite tension. Finally Starfire, while looking at the floor, whispered "I am sorry Robin. I should not have yelled or blamed you."

Robin could hear the tears in her voice. He reached out and slowly tilted her face up to look at him, and then wrapped his arms around his wife. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You were just worried. We both were."

And Starfire clung to him desperately, crying into his shoulder. After a few minutes she collected herself and slightly pulled away so she could see him. "I love you, Robin."

"I love you too, Star." And he quietly kissed his wife before taking his family home.

* * *

...Robin stood next to Starfire in the doorway to their home as they both waved at the car pulling out of the drive. Once the car was out of sight, they both turned and went back into the house. Starfire went to cook dinner, while Robin straightened up the living room. The house seemed strangely silent. After a few minutes, Robin walked down the hall and entered the second door on the right. He simply looked at it, taking in the neatly made bed, the pictures on the walls, the stuffed animals stacked in the corner. He thought she would have taken at least one of them with her. He leaned down carefully, his back popping slightly as he did so, and picked up the plush purple bear. It was a bit tattered and worn, and the color had faded from its original bright color to a softer, muted version. There was a stain across the little t-shirt the bear was wearing, but he could still read the words printed on it. Daddy's Little Princess. As he stood in the room, tears came to his eyes.

"You miss her already, don't you? I do too." Starfire had come up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Robin slowly nodded and clasped his hands over hers. "Star, did we do a good job? Were we good parents?"

Starfire could hear the sobs caught in the back of his throat, the ones he was trying not to let out. She slowly spun him around so he was facing her, the bear forgotten between them. She looked up at him, and gently caressed his face. "Yes. We are good parents. You are a good father. Never, ever doubt that. We have nothing to worry about. She will be back to visit before you know it, asking for money and to borrow your car."

Robin raised his head so he could look at her. He was slightly surprised to see a few wrinkles on her lovely face. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Thank you, Star. Thank you."

Starfire looked slightly confused. "For what?"

Robin smiled slightly. "For everything. For marrying me. For loving me. For making me a daddy. For giving me a family. For being you." And then he gently kissed his wife.

* * *

...Robin climbed down off the small stepladder. He was moving very slowly and very cautiously. He set the ladder back in the closet, and turned to survey his work. He was finally done; the whole house was finally decorated. It took him a lot longer than it used to. He wandered into the kitchen where he saw Starfire working silently at the stove. He quietly came up behind her and slipped his arms around her. She gave a slight jump and turned to him. "You startled me."

Robin grinned at her. "So, when are they going to get here?"

She smiled back at him. "The same time as every year. Christmas Eve dinner is at 6, so they will be here by 5 or so."

Robin rested his chin on her shoulder. "Just thought I would check. Are they bringing our great-grandbaby with them?"

Starfire looked at her husband slightly incredulously. "He's two. Of course they're bringing him."

Robin chuckled at her response before whispering in her ear. "Come on, I want to show you the living room."

She smiled at him, took his arm, and they made their way into the living room. She gave his arm a squeeze once they got there. "It all looks lovely, dear. You did a fantastic job."

Slowly, Robin turned her so that she was facing him, and then wrapped his arms around her, his eyes twinkling merrily. She was immediately suspicious. "What is it Robin?"

He gave her a sly grin. "Look up."

She looked up, and there, right above them, hung a sprig of mistletoe. She looked back at her husband with a sparkle in her eyes. "Is that what I think it is?"

He gave a small snicker, "If you think it's 'a dead weed fastened to the ceiling for decorative purposes' then yes, it is what you think it is."

Starfire gave her husband a small whack on the arm. "You're making fun of me."

His grin didn't falter for a second. "I wouldn't dream of it, dear."

And then he looked deeply into her eyes. Those two bright shining pools of the loveliest green. And as he did, he didn't see an elderly woman, with white hair and a plump frame. He saw a beautiful young redhead who he was afraid to love. He saw his first girlfriend. He saw his first real relationship. He saw his fiancé. He saw his wife. He saw the mother of his child. He saw his Love. He saw Starfire. And he leaned down and kissed her...

* * *

Robin raised his head and opened his eyes as he realized the music was coming to an end. The protective shell that was around them would soon be gone. He slowly wiped the smile off of his face, before it was too late, before the music stopped and she looked up and saw. He once again had to go back to being Robin, leader of the Teen Titans, protector of Jump City. He couldn't be anything else. He knew that. And he knew that it was really best for everyone this way, especially Starfire. He would have to keep everything bottled up inside, kept safe within his own mind.

And then the music stopped. Starfire started to slowly pull away, and Robin reluctantly released his embrace. They walked quietly away from the dance floor. Robin saw Cyborg dancing with some girl he didn't know. He looked over and saw Beast Boy and Raven still sitting at their little table in the corner, Beast Boy obviously still trying to make her smile. And then finally, he looked at Starfire, at the beautiful girl standing next to him. She looked up at him slowly, with eyes wide and a small smile on her face. "Thank you for the dance, Robin."

Robin almost got lost in those green eyes. Almost, but not quite. So he just whispered quietly back, "No problem, Star."

And then he turned and started to walk away. He had only made it a few steps when he turned back to her. "Hey, Star?"

Her eyes had never left him, so she simply nodded, still smiling. Robin fidgeted for just a moment. It looked like he was trying to make up his mind about a difficult decision. Finally, he walked back to her. "Um, Star? I just wanted to say that, uh, I just thought you should know that, um, that I..."

"Yes, Robin?"

Robin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, collecting himself. "I just thought you should know that I think you are a really good dancer." And with that, the Boy Wonder turned and walked away from her.

* * *

**NEW A/N:** I recently reread this story and decided I didnt care for the ending. It seemed I tried to explain too much, so this is the edited version. The only changes are some spelling corrections, re-wording a few phrases, and I totally deleted the last two paragraphs. I really think it is a better story this way. If you happen to be really curious about those two paragraphs, I will put them up as a second chapter, but feel free to totally ignore them. I think the story is better off without them.

A/N: And there you have it, my first fanfic. I hope you enjoyed it. To be perfectly honest, I am not a huge fan of RobStar stories. I don't really see them paired with anyone else, but generally I find the BBRae pairing much more interesting and entertaining. Also, I don't really care for songfics, or extremely fluffy stories. So, with that, you may be wondering why I would choose my first fanfic to be a kinda fluffy, RobStar, kinda songfic. The reason is that I just recently heard the song "Things Don't Always Turn Out That Way" by The Calling, and it seemed that it just really fit RobStar and perhaps even offered an explanation for their seeming oblivious to their feelings for one another (which the show makes all too obvious).

If anyone has any suggestions on how I might improve, please let me know. Whether you think it's too long, OOC, hard to follow, poor format, bad grammar, whatever, I appreciate any feedback. I am really interested in hearing what you guys think. One specific question, did any of the scenes seem particularly good/bad to you? There are two of the scenes I seriously thought of cutting because I really think they are rather weak, and there is one scene that I thought turned out wonderfully.


	2. Altered Ending and Authors Note

**A/N:** I recently altered the ending slightly on my story by deleting the last two paragraphs of it. I think I was trying to explain too much, and I think the slightly shortened version is much better. But, in case anyone is really curious, here are the two paragraphs I deleted. They won't make sense unless your ead the story first. Just tack these two on at the end. Let me know which way you like it better..

* * *

Robin couldn't believe what almost happened. He had almost told her, despite what he knew would happen, despite the fact that she deserved better. He made his way to the punch table and grabbed a glass and drank it down in one gulp. That was too close. He would have to be more careful in the future, he would have to try to get out of dancing with her. He knew it was for the best. But a small part of him wondered. It wondered why they couldn't be together when she was all that he wanted, why they couldn't be a happily ever after when she was all that he needed.

'Because', Robin thought furiously to himself, 'things don't always turn out that way.'

* * *

Starfire watched as the man that she loved stalked away from. Yes, Starfire knew very well that she was deeply in love with Robin. Rather than being upset over his behavior, though, she still had that small, knowing smile on her lips. You see, Starfire was also very aware of the fact that Robin felt more than friendship for her. She knew that he had feelings for her, but that he wasn't ready to admit them. And that is the reason she continued to smile. She knew what he almost admitted. She was perfectly aware of what he was originally going to say. She knew because they were the words she was dying to hear. She knew because they were the words he was dying to say. He wanted to say them, but wouldn't because he was worried about the team, or about losing a friendship, or about weakness. But she knew that eventually they would be said. Eventually, she would convince him that he could love her, that they could be together, despite his fears for the team, or the city, or their friendship. She would convince him. No matter what he's scared of, no matter what he thinks could happen, no matter what terrible scenarios he may have dreamed up, she would convince him that things don't always turn out that way.

* * *

**A/N:** There they are. Like I said, I think the story is better without them, but I am curious to hear whether or not you guys agree. Also, in case anyone read my other author's note and was wondering about the two scenes that I really didn't care for, they were the wedding scene and the hospital/broken arm scene. The wedding I left in because I thought it was really necessary for the progression. But I didnt think it turned out very well. I didnt describe the ceremony at all, or the vows, or anything else, and Starfire didnt speak at all. The hospital scene with the broken arm I almost cut because I wasnt sure it added anything. Considering this all happened in Robin's mind, I am not sure that he would imagine his child getting hurt and fighting with his wife. But I needed something between birth and the daughter leaving home, so left this in. I originally had 2 other scenes (the daughter graduating and the daughter getting married) but they seemed to concentrate more on Robin and his daughter, with very little Starfire, and I was trying to keep the focus on RobStar. So, I changed the graduation to her leaving home and eliminated her wedding all together. I hope that didnt negatively impact the story. 


End file.
